Running-gear.



D. G. TATUM.

RUNNING GEAR. APPLIUATION FAILED MAY 5, 1911.

vPatented July 9, 1912.

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APPL'IOATION FILED MAYS, 1911.

Patented July 9,1912.

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CDLUMBIA PLANOOHAPN C0..w HINGTON. D.

TNTTED STATES PATEN T UFFTQE.

DANIEL GODFREY TATUM, OF HENDERSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

y RUNNING-GEAR.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, DANIEL G. TATUM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hendersonville, in the county of Henderson and State ofNorth Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements inRunning-Gears, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle running gears and the object of theinvention is the provision of means whereby the reach may be connectedto the axles so as to permit relative lateral movement of the twowithout strain upon the parts and also to provide an axle coupling whichwill be substantially nutless.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a running gearwhich is adapted to receive a frame for supporting side frames or thelike, whereby the vehicle may be converted from a front and rear axlespring vehicle to a side spring vehicle.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the following specificdescription is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, whichform a part of this application, and in which Figure 1 is a top planview. Fig. 2 is a side elevation.- Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line3--3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4 of. Fig. 1.Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a topplan view of the device with the spring frame mounted thereon.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 and 2 represent the frontand rear axles respectively.

The running gear `is shown generally at 3 and comprises a pair ofcrossed bars 4 and 5 connected together in their longitudinalv centersby a clip and screw 6 and 7. The forward ends of these crossed bars areconnected to a rocker plate 8 and the rear ends have straps 9 securedthereto by the screws 10, and said straps are adapted to surround theaxle 2 or to surround the axle and the rear frame piece 11, which willhereinafter be described. The rocker plate 8 is provided with a pair ofslots 12 and uponl its under side, intermediate the slots, with a boss13 which tapers laterally toward opposite sides of the rocker plateandcorrespends with a similar boss 14 which is arranged upon theunderside at the forward end of the rocker plate. These bosses aretransversely apertured so as to aline with specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed May, 1911.

Patented July a, i912. serial No. 625,327.

apertures 15 in the bosses 16 and 17 which are arranged upon the upperside of the upper fifth wheel member 18. The bosses 16 and 17 lie withinthe slots 12 and are connected to the bosses 13 and 14 by means of abolt 19 which passes loosely through the apertures in said bosses 13, 14and 16 and threads into the boss 17. This arrangement permits lateralrocking of the running O'ear upon the upper member of the fifth wheel.

The upper member of the fifth wheel comprises a disk 20, an annularflange 21 surrounding the same, and in its center, upon the under sidethereof, a central raised table 22 upon the center of which projects acentral boss 23. The lower member of the fifth wheel comprises athickened disk 24 having a central boss 25 arranged upon its under sidewhich is apertured to permit the passage of an attaching screw 26 and ishollowed out or provided with a socket 27 to receive the boss 23. Thedisk is pro vidcd'with an annular recess 28 surrounding the socket 27 toreceive the table 22, the disk seating within and encompassed by thescrew 26 which passes through a hole 30 in the axle attaching plate 31.

Arranged upon the under side of the disk 24 and to one side of the boss25 are a pair of parallel ribs 32 and 33 which form a groove 34corresponding with a similar groove 35 in the under side of theattaching plate 31, which grooves are adapted to receive the axle 1, theclamping plate being held down by screws 36 which pass through the plate31 and are threaded into the ribs 32 and 33. The front and rear springs37 and 38 are shown connected to the forward portion of the rockingplate 8 and to the straps 9 respectively.

In the structure shown in Fig. 6, the cross lbar 11 is passed throughthe straps and lies alongside of the axle 2. A similar cross bar issecured to the upper side of the rocking plate 8 between the notches 12and secured to these cross bars 11 and 39 are longitudinal springsupports 40 upon which springs may be mounted such as are used insidebar buggies.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is In a runninggear, the combination with a fifth wheel member, lugs raised from theupper surface and arranged in spaced parallel relation, a second fifthwheel member having a pair of spaced ribs on its under side, means tosecure the fifth wheel members togetherY for relative rotation, areeessed attaching plate secured to the second fifth wheel member, anaxle secured to the second fifth wheel member by said attaching plateand lying in said recess and between saicl ribs, a slotted rocker platehaving depending lugs arranged between the slots, a pvot bolt passingthrough said lugs Y and the lugsV on the first fifth wheel member l forpivotally connecting the rocker plate to thenfifth wheel members, saidrocker plate adapted to pivot at right angles to the r0- tation of thefifth wheel members, and a reach secured to the rocker plate.

In testimony whereof I aiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL GODFREY TATUM.

Witnesses:

W. F. EDWARDS, C. S. FULLBRIGHT.

i Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents. each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Y Y Washington, D. C.

